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Leaked internal email from Plaid Cymru in Aberconwy shows divisions in party about proposed Conservative coalition in Conwy Council

The Daily Post understands there are divisions among the Plaid Cymru group in Conwy Council, which began when Cllr Gareth Jones, a former Assembly Member, was nominated for Leader by Independent Anne McCaffrey.

Sue Lloyd-Williams, who is a Plaid Cymru member, nominated alternative candidate Cllr Goronwy Edwards, who is part of the Conwy First Independent group.

Plaid Cymru's Gareth Jones won the leadership election by one vote (Image: Robert Parry-Jones)

The cabinet he unveiled earlier this week has more Conservatives than Plaid and in the email leaked to the Daily Post, the Plaid Cymru Aberconwy constituency secretary Ceri Phillips has urged members to email Plaid's chief executive Gareth Clubb and lobby him to reject the plan.

The email says: "Gareth Jones will be leading the Conwy Council cabinet, but in order to verify this PC (Plaid Cymru) will have to work in collaboration with the Tories on the Cabinet, this is partly because the Labour Party have refused to work with the Tories on the Cabinet on the principle they will not work with the Tories under any circumstances.

Bodlondeb, Conwy council's headquarters

"With only one Independent member on the Cabinet, this means that the Tories will have a majority with PC leading the Cabinet.

"As a matter of principle I would rather see a cross party representation on the Cabinet and have no Tory Cabinet members than having a Plaid Cymru Leader and a majority of Tory members.

"I'm afraid this will have a catastrophic effect on Plaid Cymru here in Aberconwy, the demographics of the county is already against us and the Labour Party have gained a surge of new tactical voters as well as strong support from the younger voters.

"Labour and the press will have a field day and will most probably ruin Plaid Cymru's name in Aberconwy because of this."

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood (Image: Getty Images Europe)

The email adds with the secretary urging members to email the chief executive Gareth Clubb.

Conwy Council currently has 16 Conservatives, 14 members of the Conwy First Independent Group, 10 Plaid Cymru councillors, seven Independents, eight Labour councillors and four Liberal Democrats.

There will be a meeting of Plaid Cymru members in Aberconwy next week.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “No administrations are recognised as official by Plaid Cymru until they are ratified by the party’s NEC.

"Plaid Cymru is a proudly grassroots party that listens to the views of its members.

"In that spirit, it is right that party members make their views on these proposals known to the chief executive.”